Vaporizer for internal-combustion engines



Oct. 30, 1923. 1,472,233

' A. J. TAYLOR, JR., ET AL VAP ORIZER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINESFiled Dec. 15 1921 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1 1,472,233 PATENT OFFICE.

ABA J. TAYLOR, 33., AND CHARLES E. HARPER, IR, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOBS 0]! ONE-THIRD TO BERNARD I. CUMMINGS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VAPOBIZEB FOB INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application fled December 15, 1921. Berlin 1w. 588,487.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Asa J. TAYIDR, J r., and CHARLES E. HARPER, Jr.,both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vaporizers for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a s ecification.

ur invention relates to improvements in vaporizers for internalcombustion engines and is of particular value in connection with enginesemployed for the purpose of propelling vehicles.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a vaporizer whichwill facilitate the starting of an internal combustion engine usingliquid fuel; to provide an arrangement which will result in economy offuel and improved efiiciency during the running period of such anengine; to provide a construction which may be conveniently andeconomically applied to existingpower plants without necessitatingexpensive change or reorganization of the existing parts of such plant;to provide an arrangement which shall be simple in design, economical tomanufacture, and inexpensive to maintain and operate, and in general toprovide an improved and efficient device of the character referred to.

On the drawings which illustrate our invention as applied to thepowerplant of a self propelled gasoline-driven vehicle.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the general arrangement shown partly insection;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment and Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken on theline 3-3 of Fi 2. Y

Refining to the drawings, represents the intake manifold of amulti-cylinder gasoline engine, and 11 represents the carburetorsupplied with liquid fuel such as gasoline through pipe 12. It will beunderstood that the carburetor 11 may be of any desired approvedconstruction and may be equipped with the customary throttle valve 13and air inlet 14.

Accordin to the usual practice the carburetor 11 1s connected to theinlet branch 15 of the manifold by means of a. pair of flanges 16 and17, respectivel provided on the carburetor and the manifo d, saidflanges being suitably faced ofi to fit one" another and being clampedtogether by a pair of bolts or cap screws 18.

Our improved device or attachment is installed by substituting same inplace of the ordinar gasket customarily interposed between anges 16 and17 the device serving the purpose of such gasket.

The attachment com rises as its principal parts a pair of neste elementspreferably constructed of stamped or drawn metal for instance copper.Each of said elements consists of a base or flange corresponding inshape with the flanges 16 and 17 of the carburetor and manifold, andhas, extendin from its upper surface a sleeve or tube pre erably madeslightly ta red or in the form of a truncated cone, t e upper end beingless in diameter than the lower end, both ends of the tube being open topermit the mixture of air and fuel to ass throu h same I into themanifold. etween t e flanges 19 and 20 of the inner and outer elementsrespectively, there is inserted a resilient gasket 21 preferablasbestos, which gasket serves as a packing f dr spacin apart the saidflanges 19 and 20.v The e ements. are also rigidly secured together toprevent separation thereof by making the inner cone or tube 22 ofsomewhat greater length than the outer cone 23 so that after the twocones have been assembled or nested together the upper end of the innercone or tube 22 may be spun over the end of the outer tube 23, asindicated at 24.

Electrical ener is'employed for heating the'vaporizer, an to this end weprovide between the inner and outer cones 22 and 23 a resistance elementcomprising a spirally arranged high resistance element 25 in the form ofa flat strip of the proper specific resistance, cross section and lengthfor admitting the required watta said resistance spiral 25 beinginsulated om the cones 22 and 23 by inner and outer cone shaped sheets26 and 27, of fire proof insulating material such as mica. Said sheetinsulating material 26 is preferabl made of relatively small thickness,so t at it will oppose as little resistance as possible to the passageof heat from the spiral heating element 25 to the walls of the tubeelement 23.

The device as shown is designed for use in connection with a source ofelectrical energy, one pole of which is connected to ground, i. e., theframe of the power plant.

Hence, the upper end of the spiral resistance element 25 may beconnected to the upper ends of the shells 22 and 23 by bending the end27 of the strip of the reslstance wlre over the upper edge of the outercone or shell 23 prior to the crimpin operation. The lower or ungroundedend 0 the resistance element is connected to an insulated terminal plate28. Said terminal plate 28 preferably consists of a flat punched annulusfitting within a correspondingly shaped aperture in the gasket 21 and isformed with an up-turned ear 29, to whlch the lower end of theresistance element is riveted as at 30. Connection plate 28 is alsoequipped with a laterall 31 projecting a substantial istance beyond theboundary of the asket 21 so as to accommodate a termina or bolt 32 towhich is connected a wire 33 leading to a source of electrical energy.

The terminal plate 28 is insulated from the flan es 19 and 20 by a pairof insulating washers 34 and 35 of the same shape as the terminal plate28, so as also to fit within the opening punched in the gasket 21. Thethickness of gasket 21 is equal to the combined thickness of late 28 andinsulating washers 34 and 35. 11 order to prevent pos sible shortcircuits between the inner periphery of annular terminal plate 28 andthe lower ends of shells 22 and 23, the insulating washers 34 and 35 arepreferably formed with short upwardly extendin circumferential flanges36 and 37, w ich overlap slightly the lower ends of mica sheets 26 and27.

extending lug Any desired source of current may be employed forsupplying electrical energy to wire 33. However, in the presentinstance, I have illustrated the attachment as used on Ford cars whichare equipped with a storage battery aswell as with the usual fly wheelmagneto. As so installed, the supply Wire 33 is connected to the pivotalpoint of an ordinary two way switch arm 38 which may be thrown intocontact with either of the contact buttons 39 and 40.

When it is desired to start the engine in cold weather, before crankingthe motor, the operator moves switch arm 38 into contact with button 39thus permitting battery 41 to send current through the resistanceelement 25. Wire 25 heats up, the heat being transmitted to the innershell 23, and when the motor is cranked, particles of unvaporized orunatomized liquid fuel, before they enter the main portion of themanifold, strike the heated inner surface of the cone 23 and areinstantly converted into gas. Diflicult of starting the engine, due tofailure of tii e gasoline or other fuel to properly va orize, are thuseifectiually eliminated.

n view .of the fact that in some cases the battery is not able todeliver more current than is needed for the lamps of the vehicle, Iprefer not to use the battery for supplying current to the vaporizerexcept when starting. After the engine has taken hold, the switch 38maybe moved over out of contact with button 39 and into contact withbutton 40, which is connected to the magneto. It will then be energizedfrom the magneto and no additional load is imposed on the battery. Itmay be stated that the device is not only of inestimahle value infacilitating starting of a cold motor, but is also of great service inreducing fuel consumption and improving the eflicicncy of the motorduring ordinary mnningconditions.

The described details of construction and operation are merelyillustrative of a single phase of our invention, the scope of whichshould be determined by reference to the appended claims, said claimsbeing construed as broadly as possible, consistent with the state of theart.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a sectionalpipe for the combustion gases, and a tubular element in said pipe havingan integral base flange forming a gasket between the pipe sections, saidtubular member comprising spaced inner and outer metallic walls having aheating ele ment disposed between said walls.

2. The combination of an internal combustion engine' rovided with anintake manifold, a car uretor, coupling flanges respectively provided onthe manifold and on the carburetor, a metallic tubular element withinthe manifold, and through which tube the fuel mixture passes, a flangeon said tube and interposed between the coupling flanges for securingsaid tube in position and means for electrically heating said tubecomprising a spirally arranged resistance wire surrounding and insulatedfrom said tube.

3. In combination, a gas engine manifold provided with a dependingflanged inlet, a carburetor provided with an outlet flanged to fit themanifold flange, a metal tube located within said inlet provided with anintegral flange interposed between said first mentioned flanges, aspirally arranged resistance element surrounding said tube and connectedto the upper end thereof, insulation interposed between said resistanceelement and said tube and a supply terminal extending from the lower endof said spiral through the space between the carburetor and manifoldflanges and insulated from all of said flanges.

4. In combination, a. gas engine manifold provided with a dependingflanged inlet. a carburetor provided with an outlet flanged to fit themanifold flange, a tube located within said inlet provided with anintegral flange interposed between said first mentioned flanges, aspirally arranged resist ance element surrounding said tube andconnected to the upper end thereof, insulation interposed between saidresistance element andsaid tube and a supply terminal extending from thelower end of said spiral through the spacebetween the carburetor andmanifold flanges, insulated from all of said flanges, and an outer shellenclosing said tube and resistance element and insulated from thelatter.

5. For self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a as engine having aninlet manifold, a ca buretor, said carburetor and said manifold beingrespectively provided with an outlet opening surrounded by a flange andan inlet opening surrounded b a fla 0, said openings re 'stering wi each0t er,'a metallic tube s11 tantially exunited together to form a sealedannular space between said tubes, means for securing said tubes in saidmanifold comprisingi flanges on the outer ends of said tubes aninterposed between the manifold and the carburetor flanges, means forclamping all of said flanges together and means for electrically heatingsaid tubular elements, comprising a resistance wire spirally arrangedwithin said sealed space and having its convolutions insulated from saidtubes, and means for supplying said wire with current.

AsA -J. TAYLOR, JR. CHARLES E. HARPER, JR.

